By Tammy Malgesini
Staff Writer
Published on October 19, 2016 12:01AM
I am the proud owner of two new pairs of Nike shoes.
I’m absolutely thrilled with the Nike Free Connect. Released in June of this year — shoes have release dates just like albums, who knew? — I got the fluorescent yellow ones with black accents. A co-worker said my feet look like victims of assault by a highlighter. Whatever, they are sweet and so comfortable. They provide all the pleasures of walking barefoot, but without the risk of stepping on goatheads.
The other pair is the 2016 version of the women’s Air Max. I have a past model and really liked them, so the new and improved model caught my eye. They are like walking on a cushion of air … hmmm, maybe that’s why they have “air” in their name.
My quest to go on a Nike shopping excursion started when I was watching the Summer Olympics. I was salivating over all the awesome gear.
However, my pocketbook doesn’t always agree with my wants and needs — yes, needs. A woman can never have too many shoes. Besides that, for some cruel reason my feet grew in the past few years and many of my shoes don’t fit anymore.
I had heard that people can sometimes get passes to shop at the Nike Company Store — the privilege comes with a 50 percent discount. I had no idea how common folks could obtain one of the passes, so I expressed my desire on a Facebook post.
Within a short period of time, Martin Alvey, one of my old high school buddies, sent me a private message saying his son worked for Nike and could probably hook me up. I’ve never even met Sean Alvey, but he was a trooper and took care of the details.
Pepsi or Coke, Ducks or Beavers, beer or wine, Nike or Adidas — people often have their own preferences. I’ve been a fan of Nike dating back to my high school days when I bought my first pair.
From a very young age my mom and pops taught me to set goals and work toward them. I got a job at the Coos Bay Library, initially making less than $2 an hour. I had to shelve a lot of books and wait on numerous patrons before I earned enough to buy those beautiful white leather high tops with Nike’s signature red swoosh.
Fast-forward 40 years and there I was at Nike’s headquarters in Beaverton. There was a line outside the store and after waiting 10 minutes I got through the door. Then, reminiscent of the winding lines at popular rides at Disneyland, there was another line to check my ID before I was granted entry into the Nike kingdom.
When I walked through the doors, it was a feast for the eyes … and feet. Despite my desire to snatch up dozens of pairs of shoes and other merchandise, I settled on two pairs. And, just for good measure, I threw in a six-pack of Nike Dri-FIT socks for my husband. Don’t judge me — his feet haven’t outgrown his shoes.
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Tammy Malgesini is the community editor. Her column, Inside my Shoes, includes general musings about life. Contact her at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4539.
